Classic Who "Earthshock" Parts 1&2 Reaction

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[@davidaskew217]

Let's all admit it... how long have we all been waiting for Sesskasays to get to this story? ❤

[@stephensheridan1279]

There’s another story coming up that I have been REALLY excited to see her react to!

[@simoncolenutt5228]

@@stephensheridan1279 TFD?

[@TheElderBlotch]

The Part 1 cliffhanger is one of the best in Doctor Who history. After seven years, the Cybermen are back! The best part is that the production team kept it hushed up so viewers in 1982 would have been equally blown away. David Banks' dramatic Cyber Leader is fondly remembered if not iconic because despite being cheesy, he has the coolest voice and the new battle-ready Cyberman design with the chest plate, guns and creepy visible lower jaw kicks ass, he's like Doctor Who's own Darth Vader. Earthshock is undoubtedly one of the 5th Doctor's best - atmospheric, action-packed, emotional and most of all all..."Excellent!".

[@Redfern42]

Not claiming it's impossible, but in this era of social media, cell phones with cameras, etc., the production would be far harder pressed to keep such a "reveal" secret until it actually aired ("dropped", "shaken", "stirred", "spun", "rinsed", "dried", whatever). 🤪

[@IsiahBradley]

@@Redfern42 Yeah, I was shocked at the ending of this when I saw it on New Jersey public television in 1983 or 1984.

[@ArthurChappell]

Video/DVD covers spoilt the surprise by slapping photos of the cybermen on full display

[@SGlitz]

There is a better one coming...spoilers...

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

@@IsiahBradley Shocked!!!! by the Earth-??? 😉🙃

[@coecludd]

Love Sesskas reaction at seeing the Cybermen at 13:17 - looking forward to seeing the reaction next week!

[@mrcbryant]

One of the best reactions I’ve ever seen to that moment!

[@atomicxblue]

I am looking forward to it as well.

[@jamesl8952]

I suspect next week will end up on the Sesska highlights reel. 42 years on it still reduces me to rubble.

[@GeoffreyBrundell]

One my favourite Peter Davison stories

[@bjgandalf69]

It was definitely worth the wait to see!

[@cid7016]

Sesska's instant joy at the sight of Cybermen is the best hahahah

[@Alexandrashepiro]

One of the best Cybermen stories of the classic series. This is a powerful story.

[@whobp8]

Yep. This story is a banger all right. This is the first Cybermen story in which neither of the Cybermen's creators, Kit Pedler or Gerry Davis, were involved. John Nathan Turner was so determined to preserve the surprise of the Cybermen's return, he arranged to have the studio observation galleries closed for the duration of recording and turned down a cover story in Radio Times Magazine publicizing their return. It's interesting to note, during the showing of clips of past Doctors, the Cyber Leader is describing the events of Tomb of the Cybermen, but the clip is from the Wheel in Space, because when this story was broadcast in 1982, Tomb was still a "lost" story. It would be about a decade later that copies of Tomb were discovered in Hong Kong.

[@MidnightChimey]

Getting to see someone react to the part one cliffhanger as intended without it being spoiled was just great

[@BernardJKD]

Theres about 5 unspoilt reactions online from different reactors.

[@MidnightChimey]

@@BernardJKD First time I've seen one, I'm admittedly not that deep into the reaction community

[@knightinspace2562]

Every who fan on this channel has been looking forward to this one! One of the best stories - Classic or Modern!

[@alexfletcher5192]

That dull thud you hear is a distant echo of thousands of Dr Who fans collectively falling off their chairs in shock. But not all of them. We were living in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in High Wycombe, in hilly Buckinghamshire, which had a long lounge-diner; patio doors leading onto the back garden at one end and a bay window overlooking the front at the other. And the television was situated about a third of the way up the room, pointing back towards the seating area at the front. Around this sat yours truly (just coming up to 9 years of age), my older brother Graham (17) and my mother (then 45 - and, mostly, still with us). By about ten minutes into part one, I was traumatized and had to migrate to the other end of the room, to hide under the dining room table. This meant I could no longer see the TV screen, but I could still hear Malcolm Clarke's disturbing soundtrack (he produced similar distracting noises for 'The Sea Devils' 10 years earlier). When the climax arrived, my mum - presumably for my benefit - threw up her arms and shouted 'The Cybermen!' And before I could get back in front of the television, the credits were rolling....

[@danniemadsen1970]

At the end of the day, Adric didn’t actually want to leave the TARDIS, it was just because he needed some attention. And the Doctor didn’t really want Adric to leave either, because as you know the Doctor, he doesn’t like goodbyes.

[@AnthonyP73]

Your primal reactions are fab Jess! No need ever to apologise, it's why we watch you! Great reaction to this key 80s story

[@robsaberrations4924]

It was a reaction I've been waiting weeks to see - and it didn't disappoint! 🙂

[@Faction.Paradox]

Sesska is the world's number 1 advocate of dinosaurs & sass

[@7bestthings]

Earthshock is Doctor Who at its best! Exciting, surprising and brilliant! I love the reveal of the Cyberman at the end of episode one and the flashbacks to Doctors 1,2 and 4 in episode two. Also love Peter Davison and his acting with all of his companions. You can really feel the tension between Adric and the Doctor, and there is a real sense of relief when they reconcile. Your reaction to these episodes was the best I've seen. Thanks for your work.

[@richwagener]

This is the second most family like TARDIS team (after The 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan). This team made a lot of these stories extra special for us.

[@kevinwright5129]

Ive been waiting weeks for your reaction to this sesska and it was worth it! This is one of my 5th doctor favrite stories. When i watched it in 82 when it first aired, it was a shock as there was nothing to tell you the cybermen were in it. I couldnt wait for part two the next day! This for me is one of the better cybermen stories, after seven years it was worth the wait! Enjoy sesska you deserve it. 😊

[@BernardJKD]

Love, pride, hate, fear. Have you no emotions Sesska? Oh wait, you do. Sorry.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

And as the clip of the Second who shut down the Tombs on Telos, which did not "exist" in 1982 (the film did, not returned) they used clip form "Wheel in Space" #6 which was at the BBC. There is a new edit of the Cyber-video, that includes other clips of Doctor vs' Cyber (up to the 12th) here on YT.

[@BernardJKD]

​@@jonathanmurphy3141 What's on screen is perfect

[@1rhpsfan]

And, soon sadness. (Spoilers)

[@TakeNoteOfThat]

@@BernardJKDNO!!! We must infect all Doctor Who with NuWho!!!!!

[@Concreteowl]

I think JNT wanted to remind people that Cybermen aren't robots. Ergo the glass jaw and the less mechanical voice. I can understand why Cybermen might impersonate motions to be intimidate people but this iteration is very extra. How the Cyberleader pronounces the word "Gold" in episode 2 always cracks me up.

[@ryanpollard1166]

The moment we've all been waiting for! Earthshock is just iconic all around; a dynamically directed action story that sees the glorious return of the Cybermen after a seven-year absence. Producer John Nathan-Turner wanted to bring back an old enemy, but resisted using the Daleks, and he was adamant about keeping the return of the Cybermen a secret. Nathan-Turner told writer Eric Saward not to have any reference to the Cybermen in the story's title at all, and he had the studio galleries closed off for the duration of recording. He even turned down an offer from Radio Times to provide advance publicity of the Cybermen on their front cover. Just goes to show how memorable their shock return in Part One's cliffhanger is. While the original Mondasian Cybermen are still my personal favourites (particularly the Series 10 versions), I have a massive soft spot for the 80's era Cybermen. While the cold, emotionless and logical Cybermen are definitely much scarier, I quite enjoyed these Cybermen's personalities, seemingly suppressing their emotions through choice with only the brief flashes of emotions here and there. Plus, David Banks' Cyber-Leader has the most iconic voice ever!

[@RogEdwardsTV]

I was 13 when they broadcast this and the cliff-hanger to episode 1 blew me away. They'd kept the Cyberman quiet and everyone was surprised. Incredible moment!

[@salva_75]

Your genuine joy and surprise at the sight of the Cybermen at the end of episode 1 was a delight to see, this is a defining story of the Classic Era and I'm overjoyed that the reveal wasn't spoiled for you. I'm glad you're loving this story, it's a classic for a reason.

[@tonyscupham-bilton7523]

Yes, the first cliffhanger is a classic! I had the same reaction when the Cybermen suddenly appeared. Of all the plot and cast details the BBC had released, the return of the Cybermen was not one of them. There was, however, one part of the plot that was well publicised - but not the specific details. You'll find out what it was in a later episode. Beryl Reid was one of the UK's biggest stars. She became famous in the 1940s on radio and spent most of her career in comedy.

[@ancientonezero]

Wonderful reaction to the return of the Cybermen. That's EXACTLY how we all reacted way back in 1982.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Or, other year one saw this (1986 for me; PBS) - yet, I had read the Target novel before - no clue of waiting to see - on PBS, one didn't know which Doctor would be next. (I'm now 55 years -as a Teen, and new fan, I just wanted to know WHO. Of course, the novels were the only way to experience some stories -which now have recons, and animation, and recovered films.

[@Lynxdoc]

Back in 82 I could have thrown a football over that mountain. 😂

[@kemmdog4444]

It’s amazing how the return of a classic villain can be kept a secret when you don’t put “Of the said villain” in the title of an episode.😊

[@StephenBates_IT]

David Banks, who played the Cyberleader, wrote a book about the fictional history of the Cybermen that explains why his version was more "dramatic" than traditional Cybermen as well as a load of retcons to try and make their history make sense. It's worth picking up if you can find a copy.

[@ImpossibleCaseEdits]

Your reaction was an absolute delight! After all these years, this story still packs a punch. I'm looking forward to you watching the next two episodes.

[@russyish]

Took me back to 1982 when I jumped out of my chair and screamed in delight, shock and surprise. I was thrilled to see them again. This is one of the best who stories of all time. Love the Tardis Team in this, they are brilliant. Cybermen are back full of menace. Loved your reaction.

[@BeagleBabyBeastie]

Isn't it nice when Doctor Who can actually keep a surprise up its sleeve instead of press releasing, leaking, or otherwise spoiling stuff months in advance?

[@robalexander8065]

JN-T was offered a Radio Times cover, I was glad he turned it down (in 1982) but it would have been such a valuable collector's item! Impossible to keep this kind of secret in 2024!

[@morninglaughter2469]

This version of the Cyber Leader is one of my favourite Doctor Who Villains

[@ListerDavid]

Yes, David Banks nailed it every time.

[@Wannabe_Baby]

Eeeeexcellent!

[@mmattson8947]

Cyber -Leader- Drama Queen

[@ericreese7792]

@@ListerDavid Love that voice.

[@cyrusq5999]

@@ericreese7792 The Cyber Leader sounded even better in his next story (imo).

[@joeregan3322]

M'luv, I'm so happy with your reaction to this episode! This is the first Doctor Who story I ever saw in 1988. The design of the Cybermen hooked me. This story felt very Star Wars-y and I've been a fan ever since.

[@Skeezer66]

One of the best comebacks in Who history!!! It also goes back to stories like "Invasion" and "The Moonbase", when the adversary wasn't revealed in the title! More shocks to come!!!

[@Payne2view]

This story is "Excellent!". Good guest appearances by Beryl Reed (space captain) and her 2nd in command who played 'Hilda' in the comedy 'Ever Decreasing Circles'. Lots of fun.

[@DaleRibbons]

The actor playing the commander of the military unit was Tommy Beresford in 'Agatha Christie's Partners In Crime'.

[@adamsmart1075]

I've been waiting for Jess to get to the cliffhanger of Earthshock Part 1 for years. Her reaction didn't disappoint!

[@neilmcdonald9164]

The Troughton clip is from Wheel in Space,as Tomb was still missing in early 80s🎩

[@vivalapsych]

The reels were languishing in a TV vault in Hong Kong if memory serves me correctly.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

@@vivalapsych The films were in their Tomb,....a decade later, they emerged, to take over fan attention!

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

Love having David Banks as the cyber leader, he’s “excellent“!!!

[@NyderOfSkaro]

The small element I love of these Cybermen is the very human chin, albeit silver and ancient looking, being seen. These Cybermen are somewhat dramatic in tone, but what I like about them is it is very much an echo / impersonation of humanity. These Cybermen have a lot of human elements, deliberately, showing through, but to them it's very surface. It's sort of a tragic element but in a different way.

[@mikalmos369]

This really is by far one of the best stories of the entire 61 years for multiple reasons.

[@robalexander8065]

Cyber Leader: "Excellent!" (beat) "Release the hounds!" Such a startled reaction, Jess!! Great stuff!

[@DeanStrickson]

I never realized how evocative the scanner and the caves is from Alien with Dallas in the vents with Lambert on the motion tracker. No doubt that’s where Saward cribbed it from, but it’s really great stuff nonetheless!

[@donaldb1]

Beryl Reid as a starship captain is just one of the many fine elements of this story.

[@Jeremy-f3s]

She won't have a clue who that is, only well known to British people who were around 50 years ago. Not a Gen Y American.

[@Eltonlaleham]

When it was decided to bring the Cybermen back, originally Gerry Davis was asked to write a Cyberstory, which was titled Genesis of the Cybermen but it was vetoed because it was too 1960s and it was deemed oldfashioned Dr Who for the 1980s and so this replacement Cyberstory Earthshock was written in place and it was first titled Sentinel before it was retitled Earthshock. I was I had been born before classic Dr Who, started 1963 on BBC1 in black and white with William Hartnell and would run 26 years before the axing of it in the last year of the 80s when I turned 20 years of age an age I wish I had been the year this story was originally transmitted.

[@timkinss]

As someone who rewatched this in the 90s, I feel "Excellent!" should have been followed by "Bogus!" when things went wrong

[@danielernest973]

Your reaction at 13:19 is how we all reacted back in 1981!

[@idrishall6126]

FINALLY WE ARE HERE!!!! I discovered your channel 3.5 years ago Watched all of your Dr Who reactions, many of them multiple times ALL LEADING up to EARTHSHOCK I have my fingers crossed, JESS gives her 100%❤❤❤ best This is a fabulous story, a true test of the Tardis team BUCKLE UP !!!!!!

[@timkinss]

I feel the Cyber-leader didn't get the no emotion memo! The actor, David Banks was proud to have it as a recurring role (no spoilers, he possibly played more than one Cyber-leader) and he even wrote one of the New Adventures novels about the Cybermen. This is a terrific, intense, moving thriller and I'm being reminded of how many great lines it has. I was one of the kids who was blown away by the reveal on first transmission 😊

[@mattyh2464]

One of the novels ( I think it was Killing Ground” did try to explain this away…said that while this model of Cybermen didn’t feel emotion they became good at imitating it as a way to intimidate people. It was a way of exploiting the emotional reactions that humans had to them

[@AndyRossism]

'Iceberg ' not v highly rated but I loved it and have it on audiobook read by Banks himself

[@timidwolf]

My theory was that the early cybermen were only designed for "life as a cyberman" and were good enough to overpower most forces they faced, and that these later ones, first seen in Revenge ... were a alternative "warrior-model", including the voice for the reasons @mattyh2464 mentioned.

[@Concreteowl]

There was a rumour going around at the the time that the Silurians were coming back. Probably spread by JNT. Ergo all that dinosaur talk at the beginning of the story.

[@Skeezer66]

Well, there's that foreshadowing too.

[@timeofgifts]

This was a wonderful reaction. The 1st episode scared the hell out of me as a child. The mysterious, methodical & relentless nature of the androids' attack (I wasn't a sci-fi fan, so I had never seen this premise done before - History has always been my first love) but the impotence & increasing desperation of the scanner operator, allied to Schneider being reduced to amino acids (while I was eating dinner) was really shocking. I didn't even know the Cybermen existed before this episode, as I had started watching regularly with Lalla Ward's Romana II and didn't know of Dr Who Magazines & Target novels. I was reading anything historical. There's always something special seeing you surprised by Hartnell's First Doctor or Troughton's Second and once again, it's the highlight of my week.

[@ThePonderer]

Oh we’re here

[@tokublwhovian]

I wonder what Sutekh thought of the Fifth Doctor, this TARDIS team and the Cybermen 😂

[@darrenrichardson6146]

Likely more concerned about being squashed up in that tight space in the cave!

[@jimcat6795]

He's like "What's with all the arguing down there"?

[@colemacgrath2005]

He probably cheered when Adric exploded

[@darrenrichardson6146]

@@colemacgrath2005 spoilers!

[@tokublwhovian]

@@darrenrichardson6146Jess has seen the next two parts, they’re available on Patreon. She’s now on Time Flight.

[@Jaketherobonrd]

Well this is it. We’ve reached Earthshock! That cliffhanger with the cybermen appearing at the end of part 1, well it was a complete secret. JNT wanted the Cybermen’s reveal to be complete hush hush. The studio was boarded up so no one could see what was happening and JNT even denied a front cover for the Radio Times. So audiences were in a very big surprise when the first episode aired. So you got to experience what it was like for audiences in 1982. My experience with this story however was I remember getting it again from my local charity shop and Earthshock is my favourite 5th Doctor story and my favourite Cyberman story of all time. You could say it’s “Excellent “. If you have to ask me what is my favourite version of the Cybermen, it’s these ones. These are my favourite because they were the first Cybermen I grew up with when I was getting into Doctor Who and today they remain my favourite. They do sound a bit Darth Vader-ish but that never bothered me. I really love David Bank’s Cyberleader. He is so iconic, and he steals every scene in this story. So it’s the first Cyberman story in 7 years and it was worth the wait for this reaction definitely.

[@baybarsedturner2]

These were the first Cybermen post-Star Wars. There's a lot of Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers in them. Plus the script editor at the time wanted a more animated Cyberleader who was able to express some emotion. John Lumic's angry reaction (his angry growl when defeated in Age of Steel) as the Cyber Controller owed something to this version of the Cyberleader I think

[@TheBillPodcast]

Awesome reaction as always, your excitement about the Part 1 cliffhanger put a huge smile on my face. Thank you once again Jess, you're a legend :)

[@noneya3635]

Second best Davison episode of all time. Love a David Banks as the cyber-leader. He’s excellent!

[@coopercane500]

David Banks' association with Doctor Who goes pretty deep. In addition to playing the Cyber Leader throughout the '80s, he also appeared in the Ultimate Adventure stage play opposite Jon Pertwee and later Colin Baker with the exception of two performances where he filled in for Pertwee when he was sick as the Doctor. He didn't do an impression. He played an entirely separate incarnation with his own outfit. It was a rare part of Who history.

[@DeanStrickson]

I wish I had a TARDIS so I could check that out!

[@timaustin2000]

That reaction was EVERYONE'S reaction at the time 😁😁 MORE POWEEER to your elbow!

[@markbelsom3174]

The return of the Cybermen was a total surprise at the time, no Internet or social media. And don't they look fantastic. Also loved your reaction on seeing the new Cybermen.

[@dngillikin]

JNT turned down a Radio Times cover and article promoting this story to avoid spoiling the reveal. JNT, refusing an opportunity to promote his show? Inconceivable!

[@colinmcdonough4034]

Delighted that you got to enjoy these episodes unspoiled. Part One has one of the greatest cliffhangers in Who history. I remember the reaction back in 82 on first viewing, it definitely put the "shock" into Earthshock. Brilliant memories.

[@Alexandrashepiro]

David Banks as the voice of The Cyber leader is Soooooo Good!

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

He's still my fave Cyberman! So awesome!

[@mikalmos369]

It's not good... It's "EXCELLENT!" 😂

[@richardbradbury3658]

I'm sorry, he is Soooo Not! I know there is this weird cult who adore some of the hammiest acting ever to make the screen by Banks, but I remember watching this when it aired and cringing throughout as a result - and nothing has changed over the years, despite the fact that Earthshock is an otherwise fantastic episode. I also really dislike this design of the cybermen compared to the fantastic "Invasion" design (which to my mind was easily the definitive form) and cannot believe that they stuck with it for the rest of the Classic era. They look like someone stole the costumes from Top of the Pops "Starship Trooper" set, and it only needs a disco ball to finish the effect. Ironically though, I have seen people give Beryl Reid flak in this story instead, whereas I think she is "excellent" in the role.

[@cje499]

My alltime favourite design and voice of the Cybermen

[@fatwolf]

My favourite story of the 5th Doctor. The DVD commentary is hilarious for this.

[@SKIP-yj3xp]

This is the Fifth Doctor's best story, with the best finale of his series.

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

I don't know if it's just nostalgia from growing up with 80s-style Cybermen, but damn I miss them saying 'Excellent!' instead of 'Delete! Delete!'.

[@thepandorica1660]

Did they say delete during Moffat's and Chibnall's runs?

[@markbelsom3174]

New cybermen are too robotic.

[@secondeye1574]

@@thepandorica1660 First episode of their return. RTD's run

[@thepandorica1660]

@@secondeye1574 yeah, but he's not Moffat or Chibnall. I'm aware of it happening during RTD's first run, but he's not the only modern showrunner... Plus, the last Cybermen episode of RTD1 was over fifteen years ago, so there's been many years since then where the Cybermen have appeared and may or may not have said 'delete'. If they haven't said it since, then it's a catchphrase that just died off.

[@secondeye1574]

@@thepandorica1660 Oh I thought you meant when it started. They definitely did under Moffat, let me check if they did under Chibnall

[@KB_VFX]

Yet another stellar reaction. Saw this when I was 10, now 8 years later and that episode one cliffhanger is still amazing.

[@viddysgamingviddyos4710]

I was spoiled on the Cybermen because of a DOS program about Dr Who titled Whobase and the DVD (my first time seeing it) but I can imagine the 1982 reactions to Part 1 being similar to what was shown here.

[@AlbertSquareAfterDark]

Jess is the best reactor on the internet. No question. ❤

[@jamesmasefield6109]

Love this episode. Scared the pants off me when I first saw it as a child back in the eighties😂

[@mikalmos369]

Other than the moon boots which I had a pair at the time, I love this design of the Cybermen particularly because you can see the leftover human mouth under the clear chin guard. You can also see the mechanical heart design on the chest like a replacement part.

[@alexfletcher5192]

What became derided as the 'soap opera' element to the TARDIS fam at this point (and I use that term pointedly, as there was a flawed attempt to revisit the dynamic in Jodie's time) was, I think, central to the audience actually picking up during this season. And it doesn't matter that three members of the crew are not actually human at all - a 'fact' within the fiction you tend to ignore when watching, because it's not played that way. But poor Adric is going through it....

[@LightLife4]

When John Nathan Turner was Producer at the time he denied all press/media attention, even removing the word Cybermen from the title to keep the cliffhanger suspension

[@theshadowdirector]

Your reaction is probably pretty close to how many fans would’ve reacted back in the 80s, it had been seven years since they last saw the Cybermen at this point.

[@ropecrewman36]

I'm a week late to this, but it is a pleasure to see someone viewing this story the way that it's meant to be viewed: with no knowledge of it going in. Great work as always, Jess!

[@chrisbrooker7260]

Such a good story. One of the Fifth Doctor highlights. The first episode with the steaming piles of human remains freaked me out as a kid…. The first episode cliffhanger is great. The robots are cool The only downside is the supposedly emotionless Cybermen are very emotional, I think the cyber leaders conversion didn’t fully work

[@Eltonlaleham]

I do say this Dr Who story bringing back the Cybermen, after 6 years absence in 1975 with Revenge of the Cybermen was awesome in billions of ways. I also in this story assumed that all Professor Kyle,s colleagues were killed by the Cybermen,s androids and also Kyle named her main assistant as Dr Khan who could have been male or female. I liked the flashback scenes even thought Tomb of the Cybermen was lost and was returned for vhs release 10 years later when I turned 23 an age I wish I had turned earlier in my life say in the year this story was aired or even the year before or even 5 or 6 years before the year this story was originally broadcast.

[@ianbuckley2347]

Great reaction Jess. I love this story and am so glad you like it too. It's my favourite in the entirety of Doctor Who. That might be swayed by a healthy dose of nostalgia to my childhood but honestly I don't care. It's Excellent!!😁

[@alexfletcher5192]

The best kept secret in Dr Who history - and one that is seared onto the memory of two generations or more - presented something of a challenge for Series Producer John Nathan-Turner. The show was now going twice-weekly and this presented a problem preserving the big surprise. With secrecy paramount, Nathan-Turner intervened at the BBC listings magazine The Radio Times (the regional ITV network has its own version) and insisted that Cyberleader actor David Banks and his deputy, Mark Hardy, were billed as merely 'Leader' and 'Lieutenant' for both episodes. And it certainly paid dividends. The return of the show's second most popular villains would see them grace an entire back page in the periodical - where small boys could peer at out-of-context photos of a 'Moonbase' era costume and wonder what it was like in the olden days...

[@tenmark7055]

I watched Who out of order originally. This was the first Fifth Doctor story I saw after seeing most of Tom Baker. What a surprise!

[@Vincornelis]

Glad to see the shock return of the Cybermen still lands exactly as the creators intended.

[@richardd9938]

3:58 - Perfect Foreshadowing if ever there was any... #rip

[@peterratter6603]

(forgive me if repetitive, but I cannot read all of the comments...) This CyberLeader was spawned in the era of Darth Vader and Battle Star Galactica, which helps explain why/how he sounds.

[@JulieFreyHomeWebBiz]

This era of Cybermen upgraded them into characters, one the Cyber Leader voiced by David Banks. This era does a lot of look back scenes as well. It was common for TV to have "clip shows". In Doctor Who historical clips were part of the plot or back story. This episode was my first VHS recording at home of Doctor Who in 1984 with a family JVC home video recorder. Before, we had to wait for reruns or an entire license cycle of a syndicated series to see any TV show again. I saw the movie "Amadeus" for the first time near the first viewing of "Earthshock". The Target novelizations are excellent to read after you watch an episode.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

First appearance of the Cybermen in 7 years. On the scene where they show all the past Doctors on the Cybermen's view screen was as you know the First Doctor (William Hartnell) taken from "The Tenth Planet" and The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) taken from "The Wheel in Space" which was the only existing episode of Troughton with the cybermen at the time as "The Tomb of the Cybermen" was still missing at that time and was not recovered until 1992 and the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) taken from "Revenge if the Cybermen" the only Doctor they didn't show was the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) as he's the only Doctor in Classic Who to have not met the Cybermen.

[@Drewbles417]

This is one of the few sets of episodes I own. Always a good watch!

[@Paul_1971]

I don't know why some people say classic Who is only up to Tom - I grew up through the Tom and Peter years, Doctors 1 to 5 will always be the hard core original Doctors to me.

[@Nyssa337]

I know it’s not the same actress but I always wondered as a child how Ms Slocombe from Grace Brothers got her own spaceship….. 😂

[@OldManFerdiad]

you get the feeling they were trying to emulate Alien but not everyone in the Production Team got the memo

[@stickytapenrust6869]

I always got her confused with Noele Gordon from Crossroads, who had only left that show four months prior to this being broadcast.

[@Lenkic13]

I love this era’s Cybermen.

[@Stephen-Fox]

Your reaction to the end of episode 1 shows the power of _not_ putting the villain in the title when it's something as Big as the Cybermen or the Daleks. If it was called something with Cybermen in the name it would have neutered that episode 1 cliffhanger. Meanwhile, I'm always surprised by how long it takes to get onto the spaceship when watching it, having first experienced this story as one of the target novelisations I got out of the library as a child in the 90s.

[@Cally.Summer]

I thought Beryl Reid was brilliant in this part, despite the unusual casting. If you're not familiar with her, a rough comparison of the unusual casting would be if you cast Betty White as the captain in Alien.

[@cameronmonaghan6883]

This is one of the top 10 all time Doctor Who stories of all time. And from the get go you can see why. The suspense and focus on character is brilliant. David Banks is brilliant as the Cyber Leader, I hope he comes back one last time and the inclusion of a Cyber Leitenunt is genius

[@SuperCookie64]

I also had no idea the Cybermen were in this story when I first saw it about a year ago, so this was a huge surprise!

[@robsaberrations4924]

I was awaiting with great anticipation your reaction to the Cybermen's reveal, and you didn't disappoint!: 🙂

[@AH-yn6ip]

Excellent.

[@thethinkingcatakaneonormie3527]

You'll need a box of hankies for the final part of this series as it a tear jerker

[@HudsonMedia]

Might just be one of the best reactions to Part One's cliffhanger I've ever seen 😭

[@ThomCurley]

Best reaction to that episode one cliffhanger, EVER.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

17:35 - the Cyberman goes a bit “Jeremy Clarkson” here!

[@MiniflickATC]

Fun fact: did you know that the show runner at the time really wanted the cybermen in this story to be kept a secret so badly he didnt want the TV guides to mention the cybermen were in this episode, he got his wish even though this was a gamble of move since around this dr who wasnt doing to to well but it paid off

[@MrHawky007]

i remember this story well and was a shock to a young me great story

[@stickytapenrust6869]

I like how the android at 14:11 looks like he’s giving the thumbs down.

[@bobsteele9581]

Great reaction Jess. This is one of my favourite stories of the 5th Doctor era, and I'll always remember how surprised and delighted I was when the Cybermen appeared at the end of episode 1 😁👍

[@josefschiltz2192]

Jess? I have been wondering for years if you've ever seen the original televised version of All Creatures Great and Small. I am suspecting not, as you've not mentioned it in relation to Peter Davison, being one of his earliest forays into regular television, apart from Love For Lydia. The series also starred Robert Hardy, Carol Drinkwater and Christopher Timothy as the central character, the vet James Herriot. It was a favourite series during the late 70s and set in the Yorkshire Dales and the series has a great deal of heart and Robert Hardy's character, Siegfried bounds about with great enjoyable energy, surrounded often by his dogs. Peter Davison plays his younger brother, Tristan and always described his version of The Doctor as "like Tristan, but brave". You also get some beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery, cars of a vintage - and everything else as it is set in the 30s - and characters - of which their are quite a few. Although set in Yorkshire, the people remind me so much of those who mI was brought up with in Suffolk in East Anglia. No nonsense characters and most with a heart of gold and boots firmly planted in't soil.

[@Eltonlaleham]

I was fortunate to see Earthshock in 1982 aged ghastly 13, and it was the 2nd time I had seen the Cybermen in a story the first been Revenge of the Cybermen with Tom Baker in 1975 when I was aged 6 and also this was both the 2nd colour Cyberman story and also it does not have Patrick Troughton as the Doctor given how the 2nd Doctor was most associated with the Cybermen as they were the recuring villains during Troughton,s era. I when I first saw this story loved it in billions of ways, seeing the Cybermen back after 7 years away which they should not have been as long away for and really they should have returned at least once more with Tom Baker for a 2nd story. I also got goosebumps when I firs saw this story, and it was and still is my alltime favourite 5th Doctor story and until Tomb of the Cybermen was found 10 years later in 1992 the year I was 23 and returned to the BBC archives to be released on VHS I had always cited Earthshock as my alltime favourite Cyberstory but once I saw Tomb of the Cybermen I changed my mind and now Earthshock is my 2nd alltime favourite Cyberstory. I liked the scene in episode 2 where the Cybermen spot the TARDIS and view visual records of their past encounters with their arch-enemy the Doctor starting with the Tenth Planet with Doctor one, then the Wheel in Space with Doctor two although the Cybermen refer to the events from Tomb at the time that Cyberstory was lost and in Hong Kong until 10 years later when it was found and released on VHS and the final clip is from Revenge of the Cybermen with Doctor four. It was a shame Doctor three never met the Cybermen during his 5 year tenure, and also the Cybermen were the alltime favourite Dr Who enemies of Peter Davison who was very keen to encounter the Cybermen during his tenure.